If you have been receiving Incapacity Benefit, you may be shocked to receive a letter requesting you to take a medical examination. These are to determine whether you are still incapable of working and entitled to receive the benefit.You should be notified at least 7 days in advance with the place and date of the examination. If you can’t attend for some reason you must notify the benefits office. Otherwise if you do not attend you will be deemed to be fit for work and your benefit will cease.You are entitled to take a companion with you to the examination, and it is a good idea to take advantage of this right in case you have cause for complaint. Both you and your companion can claim travelling expenses in getting there.Before the examination commences the doctor will come and get you from the waiting room. This is so he can see how easy it is for you get up from a chair and walk. It is important to just be yourself and act normally throughout this and the rest of the examination.The doctor will then ask you a series of questions about your activities throughout a typical day. It may seem like chit-chat but the questions are designed to reveal how much activity you are capable of. For example, asking about your gardening can reveal if you are capable of bending down and working with your arms; if you watch TV whether you can concentrate for extended periods of time.Be truthful in your answers and do not be led into saying things you know are not true. Give plenty of details about the activities that give you problems. Even if you can perform an activity initially, if it would quickly tire you out or eventually cause pain, be sure to tell the doctor. The doctor is determining whether you can perform these tasks day-in day-out in a work environment.